Star Fox: Hell's Souls
by Black Swordsman342
Summary: C23 up! Now, escaping Hellborne, the Star Fox team dives into a war with demons and settlers of the planet. Many people have been killed by the bloodthirsty demons, and one wrong move could be disastrous. I'm not good at summarys... PostSF:A.
1. Arrival

_**Star Fox: Hell's Souls**_

_**

* * *

**_

_All was quiet on the planet of Aqudim… until Star Fox came, of course.

* * *

_

Fox heard Falco sigh over the com system as they flew over Aqudim in their Arwings, crowds cheering below.

"Ah, my public awaits," he said. Fox sighed inwardly. _Falco can have the biggest ego_, he thought.

"Cut the chatter, Falco," Fox said over the com. He didn't really mind Falco's egotism much, just that they were supposed to be on vacation, and it wore on him after awhile.

"Yeah, Falco, don't let your ego get too big. You won't be able to get your head inside the cockpit!" That was Slippy, in his relatively whiney voice. But after spending years with these guys, Fox didn't mind this sort of bickering at all. Sometimes, though he'd never admit it, on long missions, he'd give an arm to hear these guys fight. _Like on Sauria_, he thought.

He heard a giggle over the com a split second later. _Krystal,_ he thought. He liked hearing her voice, even just a giggle. He was distracted by the thought of her for a minute.

A moment later, he said out loud, "Ok team, let's give 'em an air show. Diamond Formation!" The Arwings changed from a loose line formation to a tight, diamond-shaped formation. This was precision flying, very hard to pull off. One mistake could send an Arwing careening off. The crowd's cheer only got louder as the team made an intricate series of twists and turns. The Arwings then went back to the loose line formation. A beep on the com system signaled an incoming com call.

"Welcome to Aqudim. Have a good time at our spas and water parks," a female voice said over the com. That was the Aqudim central control, most likely, with a canned message for all visitors.

The voice continued. "Are we addressing the Star Fox team?" Huh. Must have gotten word of their arrival. Fox keyed the com unit.

"Uh, yes. This is the Star Fox team." Without a further statement by Fox, Central Control continued.

"We had been informed of your arrival by the hotel you are staying at. They have updated your room to Senator status. Please, make use of all of our facilities, and enjoy your stay." Fox's face held a look of surprise for a moment, and then he keyed the com unit again.

"Wow, thanks! We appreciate it." He knew that a Senator-status room was the best they had here. _The team will be happy to hear _this, _we haven't had a decent day off for… well, awhile now, at least, _he thought. _Also, I thought I got a room anonymously…_

"It's no problem." The control officer's tone gained a more personal note. "By the way, check out the grazer meat they have here. It's great, trust me." The formal tone came back. "Your landing zone is…" The attendant gave a series of numbers.

"Thanks." Fox switched the com system to the Star Fox signal. "Ok guys, we've got a Senator-class room now. Guess the staff got wind of our coming." Cheers rang out over the com.

"That's great!" Krystal said. Fox smiled.

"Ok team, we're going to land on…" He ran off the string of numbers to the team. They confirmed the Landing Zone, and they flew off to land.

Fox got out of the Arwing onto the hard concrete LZ. He was in his old vest and other clothing, with his blaster in a less-conspicuous holster under his left armpit, under his vest. He saw the other three get out, in similar clothing. It had become the unofficial Star Fox "uniform", though each one was personalized a bit.

"Let's head out, before they mob us!" Slippy said, pointing over in the direction of the crowd, now coming closer. Surprise blossomed on the team's faces, and they started to walk toward the hotel.

_ The scenery's nice, I haft to admit, _he thought to himself. There were trees all around, and the grass was a deep green-blue. The sky was blue with a slight tint of green. He looked at the others, and they were taking in the view also. Krystal seemed to like it the most.

"I haven't seen a place this beautiful since Sauria," she said, and frowned. "Well, at least the first time we were there…" Fox frowned also. The last time they were on Sauria, the population was almost wiped out by the Aparoids. They had been a bit relaxed after the battle, but it was nose right back to the grindstone after that. _That's when Tricky suggested that Krystal and I go on a honeymoon there… _He had gotten mad at Tricky for that, because Krystal had been right their when that had happened. _Very embarrassing.

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_

That's the start. Please, take the time to review. I want to get a feel of things.

Black Footman342


	2. Settling

**II**

* * *

_It's been awhile, indeed,_ Fox thought to himself. _Too long._

Fox was resting in a comfy recliner chair bathed in the dimming sun in his room. He let a sigh of relief escape him. He hadn't had time to relax since… _well, way before the Aparoids appeared. Then, with Peppy retired, I've had to handle most of the work navigating the GF… but I have to say, it's relaxing here. _

Fox and the others had gotten into the lobby of the hotel, and was met with instant service from the staff, having the manager show the guests around the courtyard, facilities, pool, and the like. _Though Falco seemed more interested with the manager, the manager being an woman avian.Not a bad looking one, either. _He smirked. _Then we got to the rooms. _

The staff had, unknowingly, thought that Fox and Krystal were a couple. When the room parings came, Falco and Slippy had been given one room, while Fox and Krystal the other… with a king-sized bed. Fox had blushed, while Krystal had laughed.

"I'll go find the guest room," Krystal had said, still chuckling. Luckily, there was one. _But, _he thought to himself, _I don't think she would've complained if we had to share a room… _He chuckled once out loud, and got up. The others were at the dining hall, and he was hungry. _I guess I'll take the control officer's advice… _

* * *

Fox walked into the dining hall. Pale, cream colored walls with wooden trimming surrounded him, with a wooden floor underneath. _Real wood, _he thought. _That's gotta be expensive. I guess they spared no expense. _

Slippy, Falco, and Krystal were at a four person table. Krystal beckoned Fox over to the seat next to her. "Fox! Over here!" she said. Fox came over and sat down.

"So, how you guys settling in?" he asked.

"Not too bad," said Falco. He laughed. "I still remember when Slippy fell into the pool… _That _was entertainment." He laughed again and looked at Slippy, who was giving him a scowl.

"Hey, I slipped! And I could've sworn you nudged me nearer the pool!" he said. Fox rolled his eyes, sensing an argument brewing. He shifted his attention to Krystal.

"What about you?" he asked, seeing out of the corner of his eye the waiter coming over.

"It's very nice here. I was thinking about going through the courtyard tomorrow. Would you like to join me?" she asked. Fox smiled. "Sure," he said.

The waiter addressed the team. "Hello, I am Hildo, and I will be your waiter tonight." The brown raccoon handed out menus to the team. "I will be back soon to take your orders," he said with a smile. He gave a short bow, and left the diners to consider their meals.

Fox did take the officer's advice. The grazer meat _was _very good. He hadn't had a meal this lavish before. Fox smiled inwardly. _Hope I'm not becoming soft,_ he thought. Slippy and Falco argued right through the meal, while Fox and Krystal chatted. The rest of the evening, the team split up, but Krystal went to bed early, saying she had a headache.

* * *

Hope that wasn't too short. Just tell me what you think, as always. I will try and answer questions. 

Oh, and yes, I know that Krystal was trapped in Krazoa Palace and the like in SFA. But, my point was that they had left the place stable, not with half the dinosaur population wiped out. But nonetheless, I understand what you're saying, Looneyman. Thanks for pointing that out.

Black Footman342


	3. Nightmare

**III**

* * *

_…Ow…_thought Krystal. Actually, that's all she'd been consciously thinking about for the last 20 minutes. Her headache has spiked, and wasn't getting any better. She had just left Fox and the others to get to her room and sleep. 

She got to the hotel room, and stepped into the bathroom. There, she found some pain-killer pills (Writer's Note: By painkillers, I mean Advil-like or Tylenol-like.) and took a few. Then she laid down on the king-sized bed (Fox and Krystal agreed that she'd have that one) and tried to fall asleep.

_I must've caught a local bug… _she thought drowsily. The pain still hadn't subsided ten minutes later. She tried to get more comfortable. It didn't work.

She laid on her back, and let her thoughts wander. About the Aparoids, about the Great Fox… _Fox…_

* * *

_Krystal was on another planet. She looked to her left and right, and saw Fox, Slippy, Falco, and another avian. She looked forward, her muscles acting on their own. Her eyes saw they were underground on a hellish planet, scarred by volcanic eruptions. The cave – or catacombs, she wasn't sure - were smooth, as if lava had carved them out. _That could be the case, _she thought.  
__  
Her lips moved. "We have to get out of here! The cave is coming down!" Surely enough, the cave that had looked so smooth before was coming down in jagged pieces. Her muscles moved, as if she was only a spectator looking through her own eyes. She ran, saw Fox and the others – and that old avian – running too. She wanted to cry out, to ask why she was here, what was happening, but her voice was not hers to use.  
__  
She looked up and saw a piece of rock hurtling down. She wanted to dodge, but her body wouldn't allow it. She was hit hard in the arm, but she felt no pain as she cried out in pain and fell to the floor.  
__  
"Krystal!" Fox yelled out, and ran back to save her. He grabbed her good arm, pulled her up…_

* * *

_Krystal was on the same planet, it seemed. She looked up, but did not see Fox or the others. Was she saw was breath taking…  
__  
A giant pyramid, like an ancient ziggurat, stood up, miles away. Pale, blue –white things, almost like clouds, spun around the ziggurat. She saw at the top of the massive building, a hole, in the very air itself. A portal, to something else – somewhere else. She looked more closely at the portal, and suddenly, she was at the foot of it.  
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Electricity crackled from the confines of it, threatening to rip her to shreds. But what was more frightening was what was in the center of the portal.  
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Krystal looked at the center of the rip in space, and saw the blue-white things up close. She would have screamed if she could have.  
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All sorts of people from every race were there. Felines, dogs, foxes, and others still, were all semi-transparent and floating in that portal. But this was not the worst.  
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They all were dead. That was the best way she could comprehend it. Their faces, hollow, their eyes, black and empty. They stood as if a heavy load on their backs. They called to her, they knew her name…  
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"Krystal…" they repeated, until it was almost a chant. She wanted to look away, to make it stop, but her eyes were glued to the portal, to the people inside. _

Suddenly, she was dragged, as if sucked into the portal by some giant fan on reverse. She clawed the ground, trying to escape. She looked back, into the portal, and saw…

* * *

Krystal screamed as she shot up in her cold, sweat-soaked bed. She gasped for breath, looking around. 

"Krystal! What's wrong!" said Fox, coming into her room, trying to find the cause of the scream. She looked at him, pale and wide-eyed.

"Nothing… just a… bad dream…" she said as she panted for breath. Fox calmed down a little, and looked her and the room over.

"You sure?" he said cautiously. He still looked worried. Krystal tried to regain some of her composure.

"Yes. Thanks for coming, though…" Krystal said, unsure of what had just happened. "I appreciate it."

He nodded. "Well, if you need anything, just ask," he said. She nodded back.

"Thank you." She looked down at the bed sheets, thinking of whatto say,and looked up at him again. "Good night," she said. He left, and she was alone again. She laid back down, and fell asleep awhile later, still uneasy, still worried…

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That's chapter III. Please review. If you have any questions, comments, I'll answer them. The chapter may seem a bit short, again. 

Black Footman342


	4. Courtyard

**IV**

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Fox woke up in the morning, unsure of just what had happened last night. He got up and checked on Krystal.

He opened her door a bit, and looked in. She was not there. He looked around the rest of the suite, checking the kitchen, dining room, living room, and the rest. Huh. Not there either. He got dressed, had something to eat, and started off into the hallways, into the places Krystal had indicated she'd liked. Not in the gym, not in the dining hall, not in the flower garden…

Fox finally checked the pool, and found her there. Clad in what looked like the clothes she'd been wearing the first time they'd met – except for swimming, not battle – she was going off the diving board when he'd walked in. He blushed a bit, but after he'd seen her like this before, it didn't phase him – well, at least not as much as before.

After she had surfaced – looking stunning, he noted – he went up to her.

"Wow, Krystal, I didn't know you could swim," he said to her as she walked out of the pool on the shallow end stairs. Fox saw she had a bikini top/bottom on, not a loincloth and other battle gear. She shook water from her hair.

"I like it. It's a good chance for a workout," she told him, "while washing your troubles away." She frowned, and looked a bit worried.

"I guess it didn't wash away all of your troubles. Something wrong?" he asked. She seemingly perked up a bit.

"No, no, I'm fine. Just a bit troubled about the dream I had last night. It was very frightening, but I'm ok now," she told him. He nodded.

"Ok then. Uh, you still want to walk through the courtyard?" he asked. She smiled, which made Fox heat up a bit, a fuzzy feeling.

"Sure, I'd love to. Meet you out their in ten?" asked Krystal. He nodded, and said, "Ten minutes it is then." She walked toward the locker rooms/ladies changing rooms, and said as she walked off, looking over her shoulder, "See you in ten."

Fox was never more eager to go walking.

* * *

Krystal sighed. She was looking forward to go on a walk with Fox, because… _Well, we should take the time in this time of peace to, well… be at peace with one another. _She nodded to herself. 

She got changed, and hurried off to the courtyard. As she checked her clock, (which she noted that she had time to spare – which was good, of course) she felt a familiar pressure in her head, and frowned. _Oh no. Why do I have to get a headache now... _she thought to herself. As she got to the courtyard, she felt a bit lightheaded, but saw Fox, standing their. She waved over to him, and walked over.

"Hello again, Fox," she said to him. He smiled, and she felt a little more lightheaded. _It's the headache, _she thought, but wasn't too sure of it.

"Good to see you again," he said. Krystal waved a hand toward the courtyard, with its wooden arches with vines growing on them. They started walking in it, parallel to each other.

"How's your stay been here so far?" he asked her. He looked over at her.

"Good, so far. I enjoyed my dip in the pool," she said, as a twinge of pain went through her head. _Stop it, _she ordered her head. But it went on hurting, as they chatted. They got to a stone bench in the middle of the courtyard, and sat down next to each other. Krystal winced in pain as she sat down. Fox looked over.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked. Krystal nodded twice, quickly, but another twinge of pain went through her head. She slowly shook her head.

"No. I've been getting these dreadful headaches recently. I think I've been getting a local virus or something, but I'm not sure." More pain entered her head, and she winced harder. Fox hesitated for a moment.

"Maybe we should take you to the doctor at the hotel's office. They'll probably be able to-" She got up, and protested.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just going to go to my room, that's all. Sorry," she said with a slight edge in her voice. She walked off in a hurry, her shoes clicking on the ground as she went.

* * *

Fox watched as she left, and sighed in worry. _I hope she's ok… _Thoughts flashed through his head, of doubt. Did Krystal really like him? Did she really have a headache? Did she just come because she was being polite? He brooded about this for a second, and then dispelled these thoughts with a shake of the head. No, Krystal wouldn't lie about having a headache. _I don't know if she was being polite or not, but… _Then he remembered. _She _had originally invited him, not vice versa. His thoughts clear, or at least clearer, he stood up. He knew that Krystal wouldn't have invited him and then left without a good reason. 

Still, doubt lingered at the back of his mind, a feeling that, though he hadn't felt it much before, he couldn't shake…

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That's chapter IV. Review, please. Also, any characters/things I haven't made up are © of Nintendo. That means Fox, Krystal, and the rest. 

Black Footman342

Note: (Writers Notes: --- ---- ----- --) are the only notes I'll put in. If it doesn't have "Writers Notes" before it, it's just another part of the story.


	5. Feelings

**V**

* * *

"We hear you're having girl trouble," Falco said with a smirk, Slippy next standing next to him. Fox sighed, and sat down on one of the gym's benches. 

"Yeah, yeah. Krystal walked off when we were in the courtyard. She said she had a headache. I believe that she wouldn't lie to me just to get away, but…" He let the sentence trail off, not sure of what to say next. Falco picked up a few dumbbells and started to lift and lower them repeatedly.

Falco continued. "Well, the way I see it, there are two different reasons she walked off. One: she got mad at you in a 5 minute-plus time period. Two: She actually had a headache and walked off for obvious reasons." Fox glowered at him, then sighed.

Slippy was trying to bench-press just a little too much, and his grip was weakening. "Guys…!" he said, straining to keep the weights above his throat.

"Whoa, there, Slippy, you're gonna get yourself killed!" said Falco loudly, as he put down the dumbbells and helped Slippy. Slippy gasped for breath, and Fox smiled. Almost like the old days.

Slippy sat mumbling a "thanks" to Falco as Fox got up. "I'm going back to the hotel room. See you guys later," he told them. They said goodbye to him as he left. Slippy said, "Huh. Guess there's a more dangerous enemy here on the ground for Fox then he's faced before." Falco solemnly returned, "That, my friend, was too true. A girl mad is something you don't want to get in front of…" They both started chuckling.

* * *

Krystal sighed as she flopped down on the couch in the main room of the suite they were in. She bounced slightly when she hit the soft cushions. Her head still pounded. 

_What did I do to deserve this? _she thought to herself. _I hope Fox doesn't hate me for leaving him there. He didn't deserve that… _She sighed. _I guess I just need to sleep… that seemed to help last time._ Not too long later, in the warm sun of Aqudim, she was sound asleep…

* * *

_Krystal was no longer on Aqudim. She was sitting at a stool at a bar, in her old golden armor with a cloak slightly on… _I've been here before, _she thought. A figure walked up to her._

_It was a male feline of some sort, glazed-over eyes looking at her. While her armor was effective armor that let her more feminine aspects show, the feline was more interested in the feminine aspects, not the military ones. "Hey baby, can I buy you a drink?" he asked, his voice slightly slurred. His eyes were slightly lowered from hers…_

_

* * *

_

_Krystal was back on that hellish planet, at the ziggurat again. The souls looked at her, and she could not cry out, to ask where was she, why she was there, how did they know here name? But she could not. All she could do was stare, to drink up the sight through her eyes like from a never-ending well. Again, that wind threatened to drag her in, into Hell itself, it seemed. She looked into that maw in the galaxy, saw the souls of the damned dissipate… The creature returned! _

_A demon, unlike any portrait of Satan, loomed before her. Bat-like wings threatened to fly through the portal, talon-like claws would grasp her, and an all-consuming fire coming from the heart of the demon itself dared to incinerate her. She found her voice, and screamed as she flew into the portal itself…_

_

* * *

_

No longer in the confines of her sub-conscious, she woke up, gasping for breath. She sat up immediately, and felt that her throat was sore. She started to shiver, noticing that it was no longer day outside.

_I remember that day… in my dream… _It was true. She'd just gotten away from that drunk, using the staff she kept now on the Great Fox. It seemed pretty easy at first, but the man in the bar had… associates. _It wasn't easy, but I had beaten them. _She started to shiver harder, her teeth chattering.

Fox walked in, and saw her shivering. "You… ok?" he asked cautiously. She shook her head.

"More bad dreams, and I'm freezing." She noted that her headache was gone, though. _One good thing. _

Fox got a blanket off of the chair next to her, and put in over her shoulders. She readily accepted it. He sat down next to her. "So what have these bad dreams been about? That is, if you feel comfortable telling me…" She hesitated for a moment, then immediately dived into the story, about the hell-like planet, about the bar, about the portal… By the end of it, she was crying.

"I can't get any sleep, and I've let you down..." Another sob left her.

Fox put his arm around her cautiously. "It's… alright, Krystal." Krystal, unexpectedly, hugged him back and held on, still crying. Fox held her back… and after a minute, she had her head on his chest, leaning on him on the couch, fast asleep.

* * *

_I guess she doesn't hate me, _Fox thought.

Hesighed. He'd never had "girl trouble" before. He looked down at her sleeping figure on his chest. She looked so innocent... like a child, napping.

He saw her lips, apart ever so slightly… feelings unknown he'd only felt little of drifted up, and he leaned toward her…

And stopped. _No, _he thought. _I can't do that, with her sleeping. I'll have to protect her from myself. I'm not going to do anything without her consent. _He nodded to himself, content with his decision. He leaned back from Krystal, and drifted off to sleep…

* * *

End of Chapter **V**. Review, please. All Nintendo characters are © Nintendo. But you knew that. 

Black Footman342


	6. Trouble

**VI**

* * *

"Krystal, wake up," said Fox, sounding urgent. _Mmmm… but I'm comfortable! _Krystal mentally protested. 

"What's the matter?" she asked while she took her head off Fox's chest. Her ears were coming into tune, and she heard something faint she couldn't quite place… "Is there something w-w-wrong?" she said while trying to stifle a yawn. Fox nodded.

"An alarm, of some sort. I'm not sure if it's just a drill, but… It woke me up too, so we got to get out to the lobby." Krystal heard the faint again, recognizing it as an alarm. She got up and nodded.

"Ok. We need anything?" she asked. "Yes, give me a moment…" He walked into his room for a moment, and came out with two blasters and holsters. He tossed one to Krystal, and she nimbly caught it and put it on.

"Right." They walked out into the hallway. Still disoriented, Krystal asked, "Which way is the lobby again?"

* * *

Reoriented, Fox and Krystal met with Slippy and Falco, who had apparently raised the alarm. They also had blasters on. 

"Fox, the geo-thermal generator in the dormant volcano has exploded!" said Falco. He looked dead serious. "Lava's going everywhere, and we don't know why." Fox nodded.

"We'll have to do a fly-by of the volcano, see what happened. Get to the Arwings!" he told the group. They nodded, and headed out into the Arwing LZ. Fox was stopped by the manager before he left.

"Please, if there are any survivors left, bring them back," the avian said. Fox nodded. "We'll do what we can." She nodded, and Fox left to get to the LZ.

* * *

"Ohh, there's not much left of that power plant…" Slippy's voice said over the com. "I'm getting readings of the bottom of the base, but other than that, it's been blown away!" 

"I'm getting weak brain patterns… we've got to save them!" Krystal's voice blared over the com.

"Roger. I'm going to get in closer," said Fox. His Arwing dipped nearer the now-active volcano. "Be careful, Fox," said Krystal's worried voice.

Fox saw the carnage unfold before him. _Man, it looks like a living hell down there, _he thought, and rightfully so. Platforms hanged over newly bubbling lava, threatening to destroy them. He didn't see anyone, so he decided to get closer…

Suddenly, a bubble of lava got close to his Arwing, singeing the armor. Fox barely had time to juke to starboard. But that was only the start of his troubles. A rock, searing hot and half covered in lava, came flying out, right where Fox had dodged to.

"Gah!" Fox yelled out, right before the rock hit. The rock incinerated his starboard wing, with it half the engine. Only half controlled, the Arwing was going to crash, right into the lava.

"Fox! There's a platform on your righ-" Krystal's transmission ended in a burst of static. Fox didn't have time to figure out why. He veered right, and, sure enough, a platform appeared out of the smoke. Hoping that platform was stable, he started the landing cycle. Which, with only half the landing thrusters, worked half as well. The Arwing's nose hit the platform, which held. The rest of the Arwing followed. Fortunately, Fox was going slowly, so the Arwing only crash-landed, opposed to having the Arwing be crushed, which would have killed Fox in the process.

When the dust had stopped, Fox opened his eyes. _Well, I haven't slid into lava yet… _he thought, only half-joking to himself. He unlatched a compartment next to him, and saw that the machine gun he kept in there – _For occasions just like this _– had not been pulverized. He brought it out, and checked the ammo meter. _400 shots. It'll have to do. _He popped open the Arwing's canopy, and stood up as best he could. _Whatever caused the plant to blow up could still be out there. _He was right, and he couldn't believe his eyes when he jumped down out of the wrecked starfighter…

* * *

Chapter **VI **for you. Review, please. Any questions, I will answer, as long as it's not about the plot of the story. Thanks. 

Black Swordsman342


	7. Demon

"**I bow to your will, my lord…"**

"**Quit groveling, and get up. You're embarrassing yourself and me."**

"**Forgive me, sir. Everything is going to plan."**

"**To the letter?"**

"**Yes, my lord."**

"**Good. Now, get the men working. I want him to be here by the time _they _are."**

"**But, my lord, it's hardly been worked on. Do you think it is… wise?"**

"**Are you questioning my judgment?"**

"**No, of course not, my lord."**

"**Good. You don't look half as appetizing as my last lackey."**

* * *

**VII**

* * *

"Fox, what's happening down there?" Krystal asked over the com unit into Fox's earpiece. She gasped. _What's down there? I can sense it- Oh no. _Panic broke out in her voice. "Fox, you've got to get out of there! Hurry!" She circled in her Arwing around the crash site, trying to see him through the smoke. She saw him, and two… other things. She looked closer, trying to figure out what exactly they were. The brain patterns of thee two… things… screamed of death. One voice pounded in these things foul brains, making the creatures blind to all else but to kill the intruders. _Us._ She shuddered in her seat. Finally, the smoke cleared, showing Fox and-

_The portal came back, with a flashing image of that thing in the middle, that demon-_

* * *

_They're- they're like demons. _The best way to describe them, anyways. They stood ten feet tall, had leathery wings, and horns. _Yeah, that's about the best definition of demon I can get…_ He raised his machine gun.

"Out of my way!" he yelled, unsure of how the demons would react. They unfurled their hands, revealing foot-long claws. Great. _Just don't let them close, _he thought.

He fingered the firing stud on the machine gun, and laser bolts came flying out. They hit the demons, doing no visible damage. Other than making them really, really mad. Which could make Fox really, really dead.

"I need air support!" he yelled over his earpiece. Static answered him. The demons walked closer to the wrecked craft. "Guys, don't be fooling around with me-"

"Calm down, Foxie, I'm on my way," said Falco's obnoxious voice. Fox hadn't been happier to hear it. He looked around skyward, but saw mostly smoke.

"You better not be fooling with me, Falco. I'm dead if you're not here!" Fox still didn't see any Arwings in the air.

"Those- those things…" Krystal's voice came over the com. She sounded like she'd seen a ghost.

"Krystal! Snap out of it! I need you down here!" Fox fired another burst at the demons, achieving nothing. They came closer…

"Fox! Dive behind your Arwing!" Fox jumped over his wrecked star fighter, shielding himself from any demons. He heard a roar, saw Falco's Arwing come overhead…

* * *

Krystal shook her head to wake up from her… _dream? Nightmare? What just happened? _Krystal looked up, and saw the wall of the volcano coming up in her viewport fast! _Focus, Krystal! _she told herself. She pulled up, flying up into the air, then turning over to go the other way, just in time to see another Arwing flash by Fox's... and a red flash to come out of the Arwing. _He's crazy! _she thought, knowing what he did. _He'll kill Fox!_

Krystal dove sharply, and an explosion from the ground caused her viewport to dim to compensate for the light. Her Arwing rocked a bit, and she jammed on the brakes and pointed the nose of the ship down, so she could see what had happened. _He launched a Smart Bomb… He could've easily hit Fox with that, but… _She looked down to the wrecked Arwing below, slightly singed… and Fox came out from behind it, slightly shell-shocked.

"Falco, I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled over the com. "Fine with me," Falco responded, "as long as we kill these guys first." Krystal looked over to the spot where the demons had been. _They've been flash-cooked, _she thought. Only ashes remained of the ten-foot tall demons. "That won't be a problem," she spoke to the com system, "They've been destroyed!" Her heart considerably lighter now, she brought her Arwing down far enough for Fox to jump on it.

* * *

Fox jumped up onto the wing of Krystal's Arwing, never happier to see her. "Let's get out of here. I'm tired," he said. "Roger!" came a response from Krystal, and she lifted off.

"Guys… we've got trouble," said Slippy's voice over the com. "Another one of those things just jumped out of the volcano! It's heading toward Krystal's Arwing!" "Not good. Krystal, you still have that Plasma Cannon back here?" Fox asked. "Yes, Fox, it's in the compartment, like it had been." Fox reached into a slot in the Arwing's wing, and a hinged compartment came open, giving Fox access to the Plasma Cannon. "Ok, Fox, I'm going to need you to shoot that thing down!" came Krystal's voice over the com. "Got it," he said.

He looked back, and saw the demon coming closer… it looked the same as the other two. He gently raised his cannon…

**---**

End of Chapter VII. R&R. Questions will be answered. Comments appreciated. Thanks.

Black Swordsman342


	8. Hellborne

"**Two of them, destroyed already, you say?"**

"**Yes, lord. It is most unfortunate."**

"**Quite. You're just hoping I don't send you out there to wreak havoc. On second thought, though…"**

"**But, my lord-"**

"**Calm down, I was joking. Though I don't assume _you_ have much of a sense of humor, no?" **

"**No, my lord."**

"**Sometimes I forget who I'm around. Well, make sure the pests are killed. Or I _will _send you, lackey."**

"**Y-yes, my lord…"**

* * *

**IIX**

**

* * *

**

"Fox! That thing's organic! I can't give you a reading on how you can kill it!" yelled Slippy over the com. Fox swore under his breath.

"I'll figure it out," Fox told him. He aimed the plasma cannon at the creature and pulled down the firing stud. Beams of plasma came out of the weapon at an astounding rate. Fox looked at the demon, aimed the cannon at the figure's chest…

Shot after shot ricocheted off of heavy armor plating on the thing's chest. _This isn't getting me anywhere,_ he thought. _When in doubt, aim for a headshot._

Fox aimed the gun at the thing's head, which was considerably closer now. He fired. The plasma hit the head of the thing, searing in and causing the thing to cry out in pain. It spun around in a circle, bringing its leathery wings to protect it for a moment. Fox held down the firing stud…

A shot hit the part of the wing where it connects to the body, causing the demon to yell in extreme pain. It started to fall, and Fox stopped firing. _What is that thing?_ he thought. Fox heard Krystal give an audible sigh of relief.

"It's over, then," she said. "Not all over, Krystal. We've still got to get down their and recover the body, see what it can tell us. It won't be fun, but…"

* * *

Krystal landed her Arwing near the demon's corpse and jumped out of the cockpit. The demon had landed in a clearing not too far from the volcano. She saw Fox get off of her Arwing's left wing. She came over and hugged him tightly. "That was _not _fun, Fox… I thought you would've been killed down there…" she told him. He returned the hug, and they released each other. "Well," Fox said, "Let's go see what that body can tell us…"

Fox started to walk over to the motionless corpse, (which was lying on its side on the grass) and Krystal followed. Slippy and Falco were circling in the sky, just in case. Krystal stopped a few yards away from the thing. "That smell is horrible!" she said, covering her nose. Fox just looked at the thing. "I just hope this thing will help us out… maybe we'll find out where it came from. We'll have to bring it to Corneria, for an autopsy."

The thing's mouth moved slightly. "Not… just… yet…" it told them in a coarse voice. "My master… will prevail… and kill the seer…" Krystal's eyes widened. Fox just stared. "What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"The one who will kill our kind… stop the good lord from coming…" the thing said, and eyed Krystal, then looked back to Fox. "I will die here, but that will not stop others... from Hellborne…" The thing gave a wheeze and a gurgle, and stopped breathing. The smell increased. "Fox, let's get out of here. I feel like I'm going to throw up…" she told him. He nodded, and they walked toward their Arwings and radioed ROB in the Great Fox (which was currently docked in Aqudim's spaceport) to get ready to leave and to call in Corneria Autopsy for a big order. ROB teleported another Arwing down.

"Thanks ROB." Fox broke the link to ROB and asked Krystal, "You going to be alright?" She still looked a bit sick.

"Yes, I'm ok… that thing doesn't smell very good at all…" She walked over to her Arwing and climbed up. "I'll be alright," she stated. Fox shrugged and jumped into the cockpit of the Arwing. They lifted off, leaving the demon to rest in the rolling grasses of Aqudim until the corpsmen came…

* * *

That's chapter **IIX**. I'd write more, but I don't want to give away too much in one chapter. And when I said (in the prologue thing, where you click on the name of the story to read it) "all hell breaks loose"… well, you get the idea.

Oh, and REVIEW! Thanks.

Black Swordsman342


	9. Warp

"**They are stronger then I had thought…"**

"**Is there something you need, my lord?"**

"**If I had needed something, I would have asked. Now, get out of here."**

"**Forgive me, lord, but there is also news…"**

"**Is he here yet? No, he isn't… I would know. So then, what is it?"**

"**Another has arrived, the geomancer."**

"**Good. Send him in."**

* * *

**IX**

* * *

In the _Great Fox_, the team sat in the lounge, discussing what should be done. Krystal and Fox sat on one couch while Falco and Slippy sat opposite. Krystal spoke.

"I have heard of this Hellborne the demon spoke of. It is a jungle world with many windstorms and volcanoes, due to its fast orbit and spin. People colonized it years ago, but just before the Aparoid attacks, we lost contact with them." She sat back in the couch's cushions. "Anything could have happened to it. My best bet is that Hellborne was one of the first planets the Aparoids attacked." The others nodded in agreement.

"Do you know the exact location of the planet?" Fox asked, leaning forward in his seat. Krystal shook her head.

"No. Any ideas?" she asked.

Slippy spoke up. "We'd have to go to Corneria's main library to find the location. They'll have it there." Falco stood up. "So what're we waitin' for! Let's get to Corneria!" He started to walk toward the cockpit. The others got up and followed.

"So, when should we arrive?" Krystal asked Fox when they got there.

"About a day from now. It's not too far," he replied, not looking up from the console. Jumps like this were complicated, and he didn't want to send them into a sun. Krystal nodded. "Ok," she said, and leaned back in her seat. Slippy proceeded to bring the warp gate open.

"Brace yourselves. This isn't going to be smooth," he told them. Without one of the best warp gates, like the one on Corneria, anyone going into a warp gate had to build up a lot of speed.

Silent in space, the _Great Fox _blasted its engines, leaving behind nothing other than a slight ion trail to mark its presence.

* * *

End of Chapter IX. Not very long, but just enough. Review, please.

Quote of the chapter:

"Prepare the ship for light speed!"

"No, no, no, light speed is too slow!"

"Light speed too slow?"

"Yes, we're gonna have to go right to… ludicrous speed!"

Collective gasp from crew

"Ludicrous speed? Sir, we've never gone that fast before. I don't know if the ship can take it!"

"What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? Chicken?"

_-Space Balls_

Black Footman342


	10. Info

"**Yes, he will be able to help… What news?"**

"**Lord, the… succubus… has just arrived…"**

"**Get that love struck tone out of your voice! You should know better!"**

"**F-forgive me, my lord…"**

"**Ah, I suppose some are not as strong-willed as I… nevertheless. Send orders to get the demon in gear."**

"**Yes, my lord."**

**

* * *

**

**X**

**

* * *

**

Krystal shot up in her bed, gasping for breath. It felt like she had been forced under water for hours… _I'm sweaty enough to have _been _underwater, too…_ She laid back down in her bed, trying to go to sleep, but her mind raced…

* * *

Fox got up, ate, showered, and got to the bridge of the _Great Fox._ He sat down in the command chair, and looked at the monitor. It had been three days out of three to reach Corneria, and he was anxious to set down. After awhile, the rest of the crew joined them, Krystal being the last. _Wow, it looks like she's been in the shower for hours, _he thought. _Why, I wonder… _She sat down at her seat, and he looked away. 

"Fox, we're heading out of warp! We should all buckle up," said Slippy. Fox nodded. Since the _Great Fox _was going at tremendous speed, and had to stop quickly before they smashed into Corneria's atmosphere. That was a lot of kinetic energy they needed to bleed off.

As they exited the warp gate, the bars of light outside the _Fox _started to lessen, and finally they faded away. The team was pushed forward in their seats slightly, but then Corneria came into view, and they could sit back again. Fox switched on the com system to Corneria Traffic Control. "This is the _Great Fox, _requesting permission to land." The com system sounded in an official voice.

"This is CTC, we have you on radar. You may proceed to your usual spot, _Great Fox._" Fox acknowledged back, and started the flight down to their LZ. _It's good to be home again, _Fox thought.

* * *

While Krystal, Falco, and Slippy were at the Archives in Corneria City, Fox was visiting an old friend… 

"Fox! It's great to see ya again!" said Peppy as Fox came into his house. The house was small, but comfortable.

"It's good to see you too, old timer. How've things been?" Fox asked.

"Ah, none too quiet, let me tell ya, but I've found things to do," he told Fox. "So, how've you been?"

Fox frowned. "Not as good as I'd like… You see…"

After Fox had told the story, Peppy was surprised. "I've left for not half a year and already you've gotten yourself into trouble?" he said with good humor. "I guess that's why the others aren't here. Well, do you need my help? I can always come out of retirement-"

"No, I think we've got it," Fox said quickly. He didn't want to get Peppy into more danger. He _could _have come if Fox said yes, but… he was old, and Fox didn't want him to get himself in the line of fire…

Peppy looked a little disappointed. "Ah well," he said, "I guess I'll just have to keep the home fires burning. But if you'd like to stay longer, you're welcome."

"Thanks Peppy, I'd-" A beep from his comlink cut him off. He listened for a moment to the message played in his ear, then said, "Sorry Peppy, I've got to go. We've discovered the location of the world that demon told us of. Sorry I couldn't stay longer." They said their goodbyes, and Fox left Peppy, alone with his thoughts of days past…

* * *

That's chapter X. Review, if possible. Thanks, all, for your kind words. 

Black Footman342


	11. Mindtricks

"**Is it ready to launch?"**

"**Yes, my lord. It's on its way as we speak."**

"**Good. Inform me of any progress."**

"**Yes, my lord." **

"**And do calm down. I can't have jumpy servants, can I?"**

"**No, lord."**

"**I didn't think so."**

* * *

**XI**

_

* * *

_

_The Star Fox team had gone into warp again, to the coordinates of the Hellborne planet…_

* * *

"Hmm?... Slippy, what was that just now?" asked Fox. He had been dozing off in the command chair when a beep from the radar woke him. Fox automatically looked down at the radar, but saw nothing, and looked up at Slippy for an answer. 

"Well, we're in warp, so we wouldn't see anyone on the radar… They'd be going too fast." Slippy looked at his radar and typed in something on the console in front of him. "Must've been a glitch." Fox nodded, almost satisfied. He'd never experienced a glitch before… _strange…_

* * *

Krystal went into her room, showered, and changed into her sleep clothing. Her head was pounding… _Uhh, why me? _She got into her bed, and laid their for awhile, trying to fall asleep. _Which is harder than it sounds, _she thought. 

About an hour later, she was dosing off, drifting into darkness… when she saw the door open slightly. She sat up and rubbed her eyes of sleep… "Mmm… someone their?" she asked, a bit irritated. She looked at the crack of the door, saw something move…

Krystal looked closer at the doorway, saw that it was shut. Her mind rang of confusion. _But, I could've sworn… Gah! _She hastily covered herself with the sheets, irritated at her own senses. _And now I'm awake, because of my eyes and ears playing tricks on me…_ Still angry, she shut her eyes…

* * *

Fox was about to get into bed when he heard a ping at the doorway, signaling that someone was at the door. "Come in," he said to whoever was outside the door. 

Krystal looked in at him, eyes mischievous, smiling slyly. She said silkily, "Hello, Fox. How're you doing?" Her looked at her… she looked even more beautiful than normal! He shook his head slightly when he realized he was staring. "Uh, fine," he responded, not quite sure what to do. Krystal giggled slightly and walked in, her aroma filling the room. She was in her normal Star Fox uniform, but she looked… different. Fox realized his heart was going faster, and he felt that if he tried to move, he wouldn't be able too.

"So, what're you doing?" she asked, eyes looking around briefly, then at Fox. Her gaze penetrated his, and he found he couldn't look away. Something inside him told him to look away, but he couldn't. "Uh, I could ask you the same," he stuttered. She giggled again, and Fox's heart went soaring. But the feeling of unease grew, and wouldn't go away. She stepped closer.

"Well, I think we _both _know what I'm here for. Don't you?" She came closer, almost to the point where they would bump into each other. Fox's unease screamed for him to move, to look away, to do _something…_ "No…" he said quietly.

She laughed quietly without opening her mouth. "Yes," she told him. She brought her arms up around his neck, and kissed him full on the mouth.

Fox stared straight ahead, over Krystal for a long moment, and then rage erupted in him, overriding any paralysis that may have been plaguing him a moment earlier. He pulled away; his face a mask of anger, and shoved her into the wall on the left of them, simultaneously drawing his blaster and putting it to the middle of her chest.

"F-Fox…" she said, looking as if she'd been shot by him. "W-what're you-"

"Quiet. I know you're not Krystal, for a couple of reasons." He looked directly into the eyes of his captive, by choice, and saw fear there, and something he couldn't place…

"B-But…" she whimpered.

"First of all, Krystal would never come into my room in the middle of the night, come up to me, and _kiss _me without my saying so. She'd never do that!" His teeth were bared now, showing his outrage for this, this imposter, tricking me by a guise of Krystal, my Krystal…

"Second," he went on, "I'm not sure what you used on me to screw me up like that, but the real Krystal wouldn't _drug _me!"

"But-but I didn't… You just didn't move, it wasn't my fault…" She sounded almost confident of this. "I thought you _liked _me…"

Fox was almost shaking now in anger. "Third, and last of all, when you _kiss_ someone…" He spat out at this point. "Don't use your tongue. It's forked."

Fox's imposter looked blankly, as if forgetting something and just remembering, then smiled sarcastically, in hatred, her eyes burning in anger. "So," she said, her voice changed, "You've figured it out."

The thing kicked out, catching Fox squarely in the stomach, sending him flying back into the side of his bed. "I would've liked to have fun with you before I killed you, but, sadly, we all can't have what we want." She started to change before his (slightly dazed) eyes. Her legs re-curved, as would a satyr's, and her muscles grew slightly all over her. Her hands grew 6-inch long talons that looked razor sharp, and her eyes turned red and glowed. Her hair grew longer.

And then, this thing, this warped impression of Krystal, walked toward him slowly, as if contemplating her next move. Fox looked around for his blaster, and saw it, three feet away from his hand, useless now to him. The thing got him gently by the neck, talons encircling his neck, but not cutting into.

"I want to tell you something before you die," the thing told him. It waited for a response, but when it got none, it went on. "I didn't use _anything_ on you to stop you from moving. You didn't have the strength of will to do anything but stare at me, like I was the best thing in the world. You _wanted _me, or at least this form I'm in." The thing looked mock-flattered for a moment, and said, "I haven't gotten any attention for awhile, but I guess that's because my relationships never last."

Fox saw movement to his right, slightly blocked by the thing that now held him captive, but he had no time to look as the thing raised a clawed hand. "And neither did this one," it said, and started to bring down the hand…

* * *

That's chapter IX. I'll write again soon, please review. 

Black Footman342


	12. Shot

* * *

**XII**

* * *

_Not the best way to go, _Fox thought as the thing raised its claws. _It'll probably rip out my jugular, letting me bleed to death. I guess there's no _good _way to die._ He shut his eyes, waiting…

A bang came from somewhere in the room. _I don't feel anything…_ He opened his eyes, and saw the thing in front of him, claw still raised, but with a different expression on its face. It stared blankly, in awe, not at him or anyone else. Then it fell down, to Fox's left, and let Fox see what had happened.

He glanced over at the demon. It had fallen over on its front, revealing the gaping, charred hole right between its shoulder blades. He then looked over to the doorway.

Krystal was standing their, gun in hand, trembling a bit. She dropped the blaster and started toward him, but he grasped for his and pointed it at her.

"F-Fox? What're you- " she started, but Fox cut her off.

"Hold on. Stick out your tongue," he told her. Krystal stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Just do it."

She did. A normal, pink tongue. Fox lowered his blaster, and Krystal came over to him and helped him up.

"Fox, what happened? I was out in the hallway because I couldn't sleep and I heard something in here, so I came in and-" Fox held up a hand.

"That _thing_," he said, "tricked me into thinking it was you. It got close to me, but I figured it out. It overpowered me, and, well… you shot it." He looked at the floor for a moment, and then looked up at her, half smiling. "I owe you one, now." She let out a nervous laugh. She came a bit closer to him, but hesitated. When she saw he was ok with it, she hugged him tightly, and he returned it.

Fox felt no unease now. He was finally at peace. For the moment, anyways.

* * *

"We chucked the thing out of the airlock as soon as we could. It's free floating atoms now," Fox told the others. They were in the lounge, briefing each other on what they found out. "That thing must've somehow gotten through warp going in the opposite direction and somehow got into the _Great Fox._" He nodded thoughtfully. "So, what's the situation on this Hellborne planet we're off to?"

"We all eventually found the location of the planet, Hellborne, but we all found different things about it," Krystal told them. "The planet is a jungle-covered planet. It has a fast rotation, so day and night are a lot shorter than normal. There are a lot of volcanoes there because of it. It's close enough to the sun that it's a hot planet, but not close enough to be desert-like." She sat back in her seat.

Slippy spoke next. "The place was settled years ago, but we lost contact around the time when the Aparoids attacked. The Cornerian fleet was supposed to check it out, but the Aparoids crippled them, so they haven't gotten the time to."

Falco spoke up. "What could've happened to them, ya think?" he said softly. He sat back, lost in thought. "Anyways, the place is abundant with natural resources, which is why the place was settled. Wood, metal, you name it."

Fox took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, we're gonna go there, see what the demon was talking about, and hopefully clean up this mess." The others agreed, and they got to work, getting ready to fall out of warp.

* * *

"**So. It's dead, is it?"**

"**Y-yes, my lord. An unforeseeable occurrence, I assure you, which will not happen again. I can send out another if you-"**

"**Stop your babbling. Preying on his emotions that way won't work again. We'll have to kill or capture him another way… Make sure the geomancer is ready." **

"**Yes, my lord. Also, the last of the resistance from the settlers has ended." **

"**Good… how about you let the geomancer get in a little target practice before our guests arrive?"**

"**I'll tend to it, my lord."**

"**See that you do."**

* * *

That's the end of chapter 12. Review, please. Thanks for all of your kind reviews, I'm not going to give away any spoilers to the story, either, but you can keep guessing.

Black Swordsman342


	13. Heart

"**Well? Have the survivors been destroyed?"**

"**Yes, my lord. The geomancer is good at his work."**

"**Good. They will bother us no more."**

"**My lord, the prisoners?"**

"**Ah. Make sure he's fed, but not too fast. My prey will notice."  
**

"**Yes, lord."**

"**Now, get out of here. I have planning to do."**

* * *

**XIII**

* * *

Krystal lay on the couch in the lounge. She had finished the pre-warp-dropout checks with the others, and was lounging now, headache gone. 

She stared up at the ceiling, tired in mind and body. _What's happened?_ she thought. _Fox, seduced by whatever that thing was… And the worst part, he was seduced by my form, my body… _She shut her eyes. _The others seem a bit confused… I'm not sure I even know what's going on… _She tried to hold back tears. _Fox almost got killed, and it's my fault…_ Krystal started to sob, tears leaking out of her eyes.

At that moment, Fox walked in, and Krystal swung her body around and sat up while trying to keep tears from her eyes. "Krystal, what's wrong?" Fox asked as he approached her cautiously.

She sniffed, and wiped away tears that refused to stop. "It's, it's nothing…" she said feebly, and Fox sat down next to her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her stooped head. Her resolve broke, and tear streamed down her face.

"No!" she wailed, and put her palms to her eyes. "I almost got you killed, that _thing _looked like me, to hurt you, and it's all my fault! I, I…" At this point, she couldn't speak through her sobs. Fox, cautious at first, put his arm around her.

"Krystal…" he said softly, and gently turned her head to have her look him straight in the eyes. The skin and short, white fur around her eyes was wet, and she locked eye contact with him for a moment. Then, they embraced,Krystal clingingto Fox, herstill sobbing head clutched to his chest.

"It's alright, Krystal. It's not your fault. You can't help being beautiful," he said, strong as ever. She just leaned on him, still crying softly. After a few minutes, she tugged away from him. Her eyes were a bit red, but she wasn't crying any more.

"Thank you," she said quietly, and she kissed him on the cheek softly, and hugged him again, this time her head over his shoulder. "Thank you," she said again, and got up.

She sniffled once, and said with some emotion, "I think I'll be fine now, Fox," and they locked eye again. Then, she said, "I'd best get to my room… night rotation, you know. He nodded, and got up. They both walked to their separate quarters, with their own thoughts of each other…

* * *

"**My lord, there is a slight problem…" **

"**Yes? Speak quickly."**

"**Well, the geomancer, he's reported that, though he did cripple the survivors, they are still alive, though they can go nowhere…"**

"**No matter. Have him kill them."**

"**That's the problem, my lord. They're out of our range…"**

"**Ah. No matter. They have no food or drink, they will die in days."**

* * *

That's the end of chapter **XIII**. I'm going to make the stuff in **bold** print be a regular part of the story, and try and put more detail into them. The stuff in this chapter and chapters before was just to let you know that there's something at work here. 

Black Swordsman342


	14. Wreckage

Ok, first things first.

1: Disclaimer: I only own what I have made up. Star Fox and all of its stuff and characters are © Nintendo. I don't own them. I wish I did, but for now, I don't.

2: Haven't updated in a few days. My bad. Well, I'd best get to writing,

* * *

**XIV**

* * *

Sulfur. Yes… that's what it's called. It was in the air, whisking around him from the numerous volcanic vents in various places in the hall. He hardly smelt it anymore. It didn't matter, anyways. He had other things to worry about. 

He stood up from the obsidian seat he sat in, brushing off dust that accumulated so fast down here. "Ugh, where is he? Always busy when I need him…" he said to himself. He yelled out into the hallway. "GET OVER HERE!" His other servants (slaves, if you wanted to be politically correct) knew who he was talking to, so they didn't bother him.

Down the hallway, a figure dressed in a black, hooded robe with red trimming and markings ran to meet his master. It wasn't hard to see him. The whole place was lit up by the lava that came out of the sides of the hallway, which made a path right to him. Very convenient if he wanted to dispose of a servant. Also good for letting them know who's boss around here.

The figure knelt at the bottom of the throne. "My lord, what is your bidding?" he asked, still looking down at his feet.

"Do get up," he said. "We have little time to talk. First, is the geomancer ready?" These magic types were so temperamental; it was hard to tell what they'd do next.

"Yes, lord. He is ready to fire at your command. But, if I may ask, why?" The servant looked up slightly, trying to register a glance from his master.

Anger erupted from him, and the servant looked away quickly. "Don't you learn anything! You've known about the ones who are coming to put a stop to us almost as long as I have! And we're all but unprepared!" He glared at the servant, then took a deep breath. _Perhaps I'm the temperamental one,_ he thought with an internal chuckle. "But still, you _are _but a servant… Now go, and make sure he's ready." He pointed a clawed finger toward the exit. "Now!" The hooded servant got up, quickly bowed, mumbled a quick, "Yes, lord," and ran off.

He sat down. It was hard to trust lackeys, these days. If you did, they'd stab you in the back…

* * *

On the bridge of the _Great Fox, _Fox shifted in his seat, waiting for the ship to come out of warp. He looked at his team members one at a time. Slippy, carefully looking at the screens on his console. Falco, his feet up, hands behind his head, eyes closed. And Krystal, sitting quietly, staring out the view-port into the bright, swirling lights of warp space. She looked better than yesterday, but distant…

His gaze drew away from the vixen when an alarm sounded. He looked to Slippy for an answer. "Fox, we're coming out of warp in 10 seconds," Slippy told him, looking up briefly from the console. Fox nodded, and looked straight out of the view-port,

"Ok. Get ready," he told them. Falco got his feet off of the console, readying himself for warp-dropout. It was always best to be prepared.

The swirling lights outside dimmed, and became single points in space. A planet was straight in front of them. It was mainly covered in dark clouds, and the ground (well, what they could _see _of the ground, which wasn't much) was black and red. A ring of rock and ice surrounded the planet._ That IS ice, I'm assuming, _he told himself. Some of it glinted briefly in the system's dazzling orange sun. Fox sat forward in his chair.

"Krystal, scan the sector for any hostiles. Slippy, make sure what I'm seeing of that planet is correct." They both nodded.

A few minute later, Krystal said, "I'm not sensing any hostile life forms, Fox. But there's something out there…" She sat back in her chair and crossed her leg, thinking.

Slippy sounded next. "Fox, I'm picking up ships… but they're not moving." He ran off a strip of coordinates for Fox.

"Bring us to that heading," Fox told them. The ship moved quietly through space, and as they got closer, so did their sensor readings.

Fox looked out of the view-port in awe. Debris of ships lay scattered among the rocks, some almost resembling a ship, some just hunks of metal. The others had shocked looks on their faces. Krystal's eyes went wider, and then she blinked and turned to Fox.

"Fox, there are people on that ship! We've got to get them out of their!" she told him. She pointed at some wreckage that still had some structure to it. Fox nodded.

"Falco, pilot the shuttle over there and get them out. Hurry!" he told Falco. Falco nodded.

"Playing bus driver, am I? Well, they'll have the best bus driver in the system," he said as a last remark, and hurried out of the bridge.

"They're in great pain…" Krystal said, looking down at the deck. She made no further comment, so Fox said, "Let's get down to the Med Lab." Krystal looked up and nodded. "We'd best hurry," she said.

"Slippy, hold the fort here," Fox said. Slippy sketched a salute and turned back to his console. The other two rushed to get to the Med Lab.

* * *

"ROB, can you give me a life-form reading?" asked Falco over the com unit. He was closing in on the wreckage, piloting around the smaller bits and pieces of metal that floated around. ROB answered back in his metallic voice. 

"Sensors indicate twenty-five life-forms aboard wrecked _Oasis_ – Class ship." Falco frowned. _Oasis _– Class? Falco hadn't seen one of those transport ships until before the war with Andross…

"Uh, ROB, where's the docking bay?" Falco asked. ROB responded with a string of numbers for coordinates. Falco coaxed his shuttle into the docking bay, and got out with a breath mask on. "ROB, where are the life-forms on the ship?"

"Go through the corridor to your left and follow it. Then, take a right at the end of the corridor. You will find the life-forms there."

Falco walked down the corridor. He thought it had to be the main one, because the ship wasn't that big, and the hallway was pretty big. It was cold, probably from an atmosphere leak. The place was stark grey, the walls shining a bit.

When Falco got to the end, he turned right, and went througha sliding door.

Twenty-five faces looked up at him, and Falco took a second to analyze what he was seeing. _Ok, twenty-five people… they should all fit in the cargo bay of the shuttle. But, what happened to these guys? _Many were crying, some seemed to be hurt. A few of the younger people had been tending to the wounded before he came in.

"You guys gonna sit here or what? I've got a shuttle in the docking bay! Let's go!" he told them quickly. They all got up and rushed to the door, one notch away from panic. A few picked up the wounded carefully, and they all rushed into the shuttle.

Falco took a glance at one of the wounded that had been picked up. The feline girl had burn marks on the left side of her body, and she had cut wounds, as if from shrapnel. _I wonder how that happened…_

She seemed to be out cold, probably from an anesthetic. Falco hated being doped up like that, because, though it took the pain away and numbed him, sometimes he stayed conscious, but he couldn't move. He hated it.

"Here, let me help you with her..."

* * *

Back on board the _Great Fox_, Krystal sat in the Med Lab, worried about the people on that ship. _How did this happen?_ she wondered. Seemingly reading her mind, Fox said, "Don't worry, we'll get some answers." She looked at him for a moment, and could see the pain in his eyes. He felt it, too, but not as vividly as she could. _I hope he's not worried about me…_ she thought.

She stood up when the shuttle had come back into the main hangar. Over the com unit, Falco spoke. "Well, some are hurt pretty badly, so I'm bringing them straight to the Med Lab. Get ready for them," he told them.

"What, exactly?" she asked.

"Uh, from the looks of things, burns and puncture wounds of some sort. I'm not sure what." The com unit switched to ROB's voice. "I am proceeding to the Med Lab in the event that surgery is needed," he told them. Krystal acknowledged, and turned to Fox.

"They're here," he told her, and sure enough, the door slid open, and she saw Falco, carrying a wounded feline gingerly. _What could have happened to these people,_ she asked herself. She focused on one individual, an avian. On the outer layers of his brain, shock and surprise was quite apparent. But underneath that, a deep fear of something…

"Krystal."

"Oh, yes?" she said, Fox's voice drawing her out of her concentration.

"Can you get bandages? They're in the top left cabinet." He pointed at a bright white cabinet, and she nodded in acknowledgement. He turned away to help someone else wounded, and she got to work too.

* * *

In all, there had been 11 people wounded out of the 25 that had come on board. Most of the people injured were suffering from burns or shrapnel wounds. Fox got a little information out of the survivors, that they were attacked from the planet, that they had evacuated, but no solid information. After the injured had been treated, Fox asked for a conference in the briefing room. A group of three people from the wreckage joined them to explain what happened…

* * *

That's the end of chapter **XIV. **Review, please. PLEASE!

Anyways, since summer is almost here, and with the annoyance of the educational system out of the way, I'll be able to add more chapters. I stop because I know what's gonna happen next, 'cause when you stop when you're stuck, it's harder to get back to it.

Black Swordsman342

PS: Next chapter will be up soon! (I hope…)


	15. Explanation

* * *

**XV**

**

* * *

**

Sitting at the circular briefing table, Fox, Krystal, Falco and Slippy watched three of the surviving leaders walk into the dimly-lit room.

The first one was a leopard, yellow fur spotted black in some places. His features were soft, and he had large green eyes. It was hard to tell his age. He reminded Fox something of Panther from Star Wolf, except this guy didn't have that hard, cruel look in his eye. And he wasn't after Krystal.

The second was a fox, older than Fox or Krystal. She had icy blue/white fur, accented in some places by blue streaks. She had sharp features, her eyes almost as cold as her fur, but with a recognizable pain behind them. Both of them wore a light tunic of some sort with long, flowing pants. The third one, however…

"Tigris?" Fox inquired, addressing the last person. He smirked.

"Right on the money, Fox. How ya doing?" Tigris was half tiger, half canine. You could tell he took after the tiger side of the family, but with some definite canine features, such as the muzzle and floppy ears. His fur was a dark orange, with black stripes. He wore a brown t-shirt with a green vest, and fighter goggles on his head.

"What happened to Husky Unit?" Fox asked. That was where Fox had met Tigris, with Bill's Husky Unit. Tigris frowned.

"Disbanded after the war with Andross. That's when I got send to Hellborne with my squadron. It's been quiet here, until, well, now." He shrugged.

The ice-colored vixen cleared her throat. "We have to get down to business, ladies and gentlemen." The three sat down.

The leopard spoke first. He had a deep, smooth voice. "Before recent events, Hellborne was a jungle world with a fast rotation, causing many of the volcanoes that give the planet its name, as you may know." Krystal nodded, and spoke. "We've done a bit of research, but we need to know what happened."

"Yes, I'm getting to that. We're not sure what happened, but recently, about a year ago, the Aparoids attacked. We defended well against them, but we were loosing. An Aparoid colony appeared in one of the volcanoes, assimilating the geothermal equipment we had their. That's when they attacked…" The panther fell silent, and looked saddened.

The vixen took on where the panther left off. Her voice was strong, but calm, like a diplomat's. "The Aparoids, apparently, set off something that took the notice of some of the native peoples who live here. We had had no contact with them before, so we knew not that they existed. They destroyed the Aparoids, and when we went to contact them, they attacked." She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "They seem to use little technology, or cleverly disguised technology. We're not sure."

Tigris held up a hand. "Whatever they're using, Fox, they can rip through a starfighter's hull with their claws. They slaughtered us." Anger crept into his voice. "They killed most of my unit, and captured the rest."

"They also captured many civilians, though they seem not to know the difference," said the leopard.

Fox nodded. "Do you guys have anything that can be of help?" he asked. Tigris nodded.

"You guys seem to be a bridge commander short." He smirked. "I can do that better'n you." Fox nodded in grudging agreement. He'd rather be in an Ar-wing than sitting in the _Great Fox_.

"None of the people that survived, other than Tigris, are soldiers. I'm sorry," the leopard told them. Krystal responded, "That's ok. We don't want to endanger your people."

The ice blue fox and the leopard got up, said goodbye, and left. Tigris remained. "So, what's the plan, Fox?" Everyone looked at Fox at this point.

"Well, we need to rescue the civilians and Tigris's remaining team. Then, we have to shut these guys down. Any ideas?"

* * *

The end of chapter **XV**, explaining a lot. I'll try and add more chapters soon.

Black Swordsman342


	16. Preparations

* * *

**XVI**

* * *

_Well, the plan is set, _thought Krystal. _Now all we have to do is find a way to where these demon things are, destroy them and their vast demon armies Tigris explained, rescue the prisoners, and get out alive. Simple, right?_ she thought sarcastically. She got up from her bed (it had just been the night shift on the _Great Fox_) and got dressed. She put on a blue top that went down to just above her navel, and shorts of the same color that went down to her knees. She then put on a belt with a blaster holster and blaster.

As she was walking to the docking bay, where they were told to meet, she thought about the situation they were in. Death was in question, which made her worry. She'd never been worried about it before Sauria, because she would die without anyone close to her. But now, she felt as if she had a home in the _Great Fox_, with Fox and the others… Thoughts about Fox surfaced. The others were friends, but, they just weren't the same. Falco was a hero at heart who had to grow up quickly. Slippy was a light-hearted mechanic / impromptu comedy routine. But Fox was different. Just being _foxes_ helped them relate. He was a just merc on the outside, but a caring soul on the inside, and she didn't want him to be hurt, out of all of them. _If he died, I don't know what I'd do…_ Well, she didn't have to worry about dieing today. Today's mission was a fly-by, nothing more. Nothing more.

Krystal got to the docking bay in the bottom of the _Great Fox_. Ar-wings and other vehicles lined the place, along with spare parts and modifications that were scattered around. She saw Fox and the others standing near their respective Ar-wings, making last-minute adjustments. Fox was wearing his normal gear, a white vest with a green flight suit and a red bandana around his neck. He looked up at her.

"You ready to go?" he asked. Krystal thought she could see red under the fur on his cheeks. She gave him a warm smile.

"As I'll ever be," she said. He nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a second, and then he turned to his Ar-wing and got in. She and the others did the same.

"Alright," she heard Fox say over the com, his voice as calm and strong as ever. "This is a simple fly-by mission. We'll be flying over the volcano that the demons originally came out of. Any questions?" he asked.

Krystal spoke. "Will we be engaging the enemy?" she asked him.

"We shouldn't, as far as we know. We'll be flying too high for them, we _think._ So be ready."

"Ok," she confirmed. As a last note, she told him, "Be careful."

"Roger."

"Are we going to go, or are you going to talk all day?"

The last voice was Falco's, and Krystal sighed a bit. She powered up her engines, as did the others.

"Launch!" came Fox's voice from the com unit. Krystal hit the 'Release Clamps' button on her console, and her Ar-wing jerked forward. She looked to her left, and saw Fox slightly ahead of her, looking forward. _Don't become distracted now,_ she told herself, and she paid attention to the Ar-wing's movements.

The four Ar-wings jetted out into the space between the planet's atmosphere and the _Great Fox_. Not long after, they hit the outer atmosphere, making four long, fiery streaks in the sky…

* * *

Fox looked out of his Ar-wing onto the incoming earth of Hellborne. In all directions, he saw black, scorched earth. "Wow," he said onto the com. "Not much left, is their, control?" Tigris's voice spoke back to him from the _Great Fox_.

"Nope," came the morbid reply. Fox could see hills of scorched earth and ash all around him. Fox could easily see them.

Tigris spoke again, gloomy-voiced. "Especially since you're still three miles up." Fox looked down, a new sense of understanding and impending horror dawning on him. Those hills had to be the size of small mountains from three miles up. He was looking in thousands of miles in every direction, not just in the single digits. He swallowed hard. "W-What was all this before?" a feminine voice asked over the com, in shock and awe. _Krystal_. "Forest," came the less-than-cheerful reply. "A rainforest. My home for the last four years."

"Well," Fox said, "Are we coming up on the volcano?"

"Just another thousand miles to go. It's night there, right now, so you'll get a show."

"What kind?"

"You'll see…" came the last dismal reply, more than a note of sadness and weariness in the voice. Fox swallowed again, not wanting to think about what had happened here…

* * *

"You'll see…" came the last dismal reply from Tigris over the com unit. Krystal and the others had there Ar-wings on auto-pilot, so they were free to do other things. She sat back in her ejection seat, trying to relax slightly. Krystal could understand why Tigris was so lack-luster. He had just lost a home. It'd happened to her before… she swallowed hard, not wanting to bring back old ghosts…

* * *

End of chapter **XVI** (16, I'm pretty sure.). Please review. As for, "WHEN IS FOX GONNA KISS THE GIRL?", I can't tell you, Sith. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't reveal any plot elements. Sorry. However, this _is _an Action/Adventure/Romance story… I'm sure you can make the connections. I'll add more soon.

Black Swordsman342


	17. Volcano

* * *

**XVII**

* * *

Fox could hear the whistle of air going across the hull of the Ar-wing. He looked out of the cockpit and could see the volcano, directly in front of him. "Pull up, guys. We need to gain altitude," he told the team. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled up slightly on the controls for the Ar-wing, and he leaned back in his chair a bit. Looking to the sides of him, he saw the others, seamlessly beside him. 

As they got closer, Fox could see more and more of the demon's handicraft. Parts from destroyed buildings lay everywhere, probably from the older geothermal buildings. Fox could even see a shell of an Aparoid, one similar to the one he fought in a landmaster during the Aparoid war. It looked hollow, as if it had been salvaged…

They were further over the volcano now, almost directly over it. On the "rim" of the volcano, there were masses of stone, seemingly half-built, half-_formed_ from the lava. _I don't know how to put it… It just looks like the volcano spewed out lava into a mold. These buildings look similar, like barracks, almost._ He thought about this for a moment. _That could very well be the case._

They were directly over the volcano right now. He flipped over his Ar-wing, so the cockpit was facing toward the ground. Down the mouth of the volcano, there was… a tunnel, big enough for the _Great Fox_ to fit in, even, if it was flying strait down. No lava formed in the mouth of the volcano, but more around the rim, as if it was a huge landing pad with neon lights showing the LZ.

Busts of lava came from the sides of the tunnel wall, like traps set in place for enemy invaders. Luckily, they seemed to be timed to some extent, like geysers. _That tunnel has to go to the center of the world,_ Fox thought. He flipped his Ar-wing back over. "You guys seeing what I'm seeing?" he asked. He heard Slippy gulp.

On the far side of the volcano, Fox could see, via visual camera, buildings of some sort. They were oval-shaped, strangely, built onto the cliffs of the volcano. Fox wanted to zoom in on the picture to get a better look, but something shook his Ar-wing.

He looked up at his shields. They were gone completely to the rear. Fox quickly looked back to the stern of his Ar-wing. Something half as big as his Ar-wing was crawling on the hull, trying to make it up from the left wing to the cockpit. "I need help here! Something's on my Ar-wing!" he yelled into the com unit. Fox wasn't sure what to do; he'd never had anything climb onto his Ar-wing, much less something half the size of it. He heard ripping noises, and Fox cringed a bit. The thing must be ripping out sensors and components. Sure enough, his visual cameras blanked out.

"I'm coming," came a female voice over the com unit. Fox could see Krystal's Ar-wing come up behind him. "Wait, you're not gonna-" he said, before another jolt shook the Ar-wing. He looked back and saw Krystal take careful aim with her twin laser cannons.

"Please, don't miss," he heard her whisper to herself over the com.

A flash of light came from outside Fox's cockpit, and he felt the Ar-wing shake. He looked back at his left wing. The creature – Fox assumed it was a demon – had been shot off, along with the bottom half of the wing. He breathed a sigh of relief, because he could still keep control of the Ar-wing, and he hadn't been fried. He spoke into the com unit.

"Fox here. What just happened?" Silence answered him, so he repeated himself. He looked onto his console, and saw that the com transmitter had been knocked out. He looked out to his left, and saw Krystal's Ar-wing in the dark. Her mouth was moving, most likely talking into the com unit. She looked confused as to why she wasn't getting an answer, and she looked over to Fox. He mouthed, _"My com got knocked out,"_ and she nodded. He pointed a thumb skyward, and got another nod. She turned toward the com unit and started talking. Fox pulled up on his controls, flying toward where the _Great Fox_ would pick them up…

* * *

Fox got into the docking bay first. He jumped out of the cockpit and surveyed the damage. The wing of the Ar-wing was gone for about half of the length, then blackened, melted, sheared-off metal with a few cut circuits sticking out for about a foot. Then, white wing, but for a few half-foot long scratches. Typical blaster fire damage, save for the scratches. 

Slippy landed next. He hopped out and came up to Fox. "That'll take awhile to fix," he told Fox, though Fox was fully aware of this. "Quick thinking on Krystal's part, though." He walked toward the exit, most likely waiting for Falco.

Falco landed next. He looked at the damage on the craft, and said with a serious face. "Wow, that thing did a number on you."

"Actually, that's more of Krystal's damage than the demons."

"Wow… she did a number on you." Falco looked at Fox. His frown twitched once in a smile, then broke out laughing and walked over to Slippy.

"Fox! Are you alright? Oh, I'm so sorry…" Krystal said, abruptly running out of her Ar-wing and catching him tightly around the torso. Falco and Slippy left quickly, a knowing smile on Falco's face.

Trying to breathe, Fox hugged her back, more gently, and she said quietly, "Oh." She left go immediately, and put some personal space in between them. "Uh… I'm glad you're ok," she said, hands fidgeting awkwardly, a blush forming on her cheeks. Fox felt his cheeks burn, too.

"Thanks," he said, and he came forward to her and hugged her around the waist, pulling her toward him. She didn't resist, but Fox felt her tighten ever so slightly in his embrace at first, then relax and hug him back. "I'm ok, so no harm done," he told her. The fur on her back was very soft, he noticed. He pulled away, and they smiled warmly as they walked off toward the bridge together. "Falco says you did a number on me," he told her as they walked. She laughed, a sound Fox found he liked to hear…

* * *

That's the end of chapter **XVII**. Forgive me if I switch to Arabic numbers soon. (0-9 instead of Roman Numerals.) I'll update soon. 

As for the size of my chapters, so you know, I don't just sit down and type page after page. I do it in smaller increments, getting down just enough. But trust me, there'll be many chapters. I'm not even halfway done. Not even close. So stick around, and in a few days, I'll have another chapter.

I hope you Fox/Krystal fans liked the ending part, even if it was small and they didn't kiss. That's- (Gets shot by a bullet that says, "NO SPOILERS FOR YOU")

Will be revived,

Black Swordsman342


	18. Planning

* * *

**XVIII**

**

* * *

**

In the meeting room, everyone took chairs around the circular table. Tigris spoke first.

"So, you're alright then, Fox?"

"Never been better."

"Good. We've gone over the camera data from your Ar-wing, and found something… not good."

"Not good? What level of not good?"

"You'll have to see for yourself." Tigris hit a button for the holo-projector in the middle of the table. A gray shape appeared over it, hovering slightly. It looked like a stubby oval with pieces missing. "This is what the demons are building. It's about two times as big as this ship, and they've been building about twelve of them. We believe they're transports."

"Ah. That's not good."

"I told you."

Krystal cut in. "I think I see a bit of Aparoid technology,"

"Yes," confirmed Tigris, "They've taken technology from the Aparoids to enhance their technological abilities."

"There are holes all over the ship," Fox said. "I assume they're not finished."

"We don't believe so. That's good, or else we'd probably be dead."

"They've got weapons systems?"

"Look here." He used a laser pointer to point out a spot on the ship.

"That," said Slippy, "Looks like some sort of missile launcher."

"Bingo." He sat back in his chair. "I guess we haven't told you how our ships were destroyed…" That thought struck Fox, and he wondered why he didn't think of that earlier…

"When we evacuated the planet, about a fourth of the population was left. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough ships for everyone…" He stopped for a moment, emotion breaking his stride. "We loaded the planetary representative onto the ship, along with myself and many others. When we got into orbit, huge asteroids hit the ships, coming from the planet… we didn't get the time to find out why it happened." He sighed regretfully. "Most of my people, my friends, died. Leaving them on-planet resigned them to death or capture, and taking them with us got them shot down…" He put his face in his hands, close to tears.

"Tigris," said Fox, "You did the right thing. There was nothing you could have done to save those people. The important thing is to get back those who were captured, and destroy them, blowing up the planet if we have to. You with me, here?"

Tigris took his slightly damp face out of his hands, face determined, eyes averted. He nodded.

"Good. We've been planning on leading an air attack inside the volcano. That's where they came from, right?" Another nod.

"What about the demons? They don't show up on radar, and we can't risk another one ripping apart one of our Ar-wings," Krystal said. Fox looked her in the eye, seeing concern, not just for the team.

"Well," he said, "We've got information from Corneria Autopsy. They've sent us info on how to track demon blood. They've even sent us the chemical data. Hopefully, they've got similar blood." Krystal nodded.

Fox looked around toward the others. "So, we're going to get a good night's sleep tonight, and tomorrow, we lead the air attack. Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

Krystal looked out the bridge view port, wondering how she got into this situation. First, she'd been trapped in a crystal on Sauria, and was saved by Fox. Next, she'd joined the Star Fox team, and went through the war with the Aparoids. Now, she was engulfed in a planetary crisis involving demons and mass murder by them. She thought about this, the demons, her team, Fox…

Fox walked up next to her and looked out of the view port in the same direction she was, but said nothing for awhile. After a minute or so, he spoke.

"You still having those bad dreams?" he asked.

"No. I'm not sure why," she told him. "I'm a bit worried about the upcoming assault on the volcano, and what we'll find their…"

"You think it'll be what you saw?"

"I hope not." She looked away from the starry abyss outside the view port wall. "I didn't like it."

"I can tell." Fox looked at her. "You going to be alright?"

"Yes." She leaned against him slightly, and he put his arm around her waist, drawing her a bit closer. They just stood there for awhile, content with the presence and feel of each other.

* * *

That's the end of chapter **XVIII**. Correct me if my Roman Numerals are wrong at any time. Also, I reloaded chapter 8, fixing a few things. Thanks all for your kind reviews so far. More would be appreciated. Also, anonymous reviewer Siege-Master, I'd like to say thank you for pointing that out, and yes, that is part of where I got the idea from. But trust me; the story lines will not be in the least the same, so it's not a cross-over. One last thing, know that whatever happens, this _will_ remain a T-rated story. Thanks.

Black Footman342


	19. Looming Disaster

* * *

**XIX**

**

* * *

**

"All fighters, report in," said Fox over the com. A last-minute prep was in order, though anything minor would probably have to go unfixed, seeing that they were coming up on the volcano.

"Falco here, everything's fine," said Falco's voice over the com.

"Slippy here, I'm good to go!"

"Krystal here, I'm ready."

"Good. Control, everything ok on the _Great Fox_?"

"Stop worrying," came Tigris's voice, "Your ship will be in one piece when you come back, ok?"

Fox grinned. "Roger that. Alright, everyone form up on me. We're going to dive."

Everyone took a formation similar to the Diamond Formation they'd used on Aqudim, but a looser one, so if a shot took out the front Arwing, whatever remained of it wouldn't crash into the others. They dived and pulled up when they got to the slope of the volcano, so that any sensors the demons had wouldn't pick them up among the rocks. But this lead to some problems. More than once, Fox had to dodge a large stone two times the size of his Arwing that was sticking out of the volcano. Once in awhile, they'd be met by a geyser of lava, spewing out of the volcano at random. Fortunately, the Arwings and their pilots escaped this unharmed.

"Fox, I have demons at 11 o' clock, coming in fast," said Krystal's rushed warning. Fox was happy that the sensors worked. But incoming demons was not good. "How many?"

"Two, I believe. But they're different than we've seen before…" She was right. As Fox got a visual on the demons, his eyes widened in surprise. The demons looked the same as the ones they'd encountered before on Aqudim, but they a heavy black breastplate each, attached by chains wrapped around their back. Also, they had long, crude-looking swords that looked as if they could swat an Arwing out of the sky. "Falco, Slippy, can you take care of those guys?"

"I thought you'd never ask," said Falco. They broke off from the formation, leaving Krystal and Fox to go up and into the fiery mountain.

Fox wished he had the time to help the other two, but they had a job to do. He went over the objectives in his head one last time; _1.) Cause as much damage on the way down the volcano as you can. 2.) Get a good over-view of the demon's underground base. 3.) Destroy said base if possible, and 4.) Get the hell out of there. Well, business as usual…_

The two pilots went over the rim of the volcano, startling some demons. Strangely, they did not chase after them. "Wonder why they aren't chasing us?" he said over the com, puzzled.

"They're workers. Their brain patterns are, for a lack of a better word, dull."

"Got it, Krystal."

Fox dove straight down into the volcano, seeing no lava directly below them, only an orange glow far down. The lava that had been spewing from the sides before was silent. Nothing seemed to move, save for the rock walls flying past his view port. He looked over and saw Krystal in time with him. _She's getting better,_ he thought.

His sensor console started beeping at him. He looked at it, and saw… _oh, great._ "Krystal, are you seeing what I'm seeing on sensors?"

"No, what are you - …oh no." Her voice had become ominously silent. Silence reigned for a fraction of a second longer.

"Charge up your weapons!" he said, unaware that she already had. "Get ready!"

3000 yards… 2000… 1000…500…

* * *

Yep! Another cliffhanger for ya. Stick around, and _review_! I'd be much appreciative, and I'm sure you've heard this from other authors, but when you _don't_ review, and I keep writing, I feel like you're not reviewing because you don't like the story, and I get discouraged and it's not fun. So, please review. Yes, a short chapter, but the next one will be a bigger one, I can assure you. A chase scene too. Very exiting. 


	20. The Geomancer

* * *

_**20**_

* * *

_**The Geomancer**_

* * *

Krystal fired a Smart Bomb into the looming horde of demons that came at them, straight up. It took out about ten of them, but more just kept pouring up from the depths of the volcano. Panic rose up in her, but she beat it down and kept diving. She saw another explosion, Fox's Smart Bomb taking out more demons.

"Fox, they're gaining fast, and they'll rip us to shreds. Fire a Smart Bomb on the walls on my mark… mark!" She thumbed the Smart Bomb button, and heard it zip out and over to her right. She saw Fox do the same.

Almost simultaneously, the blasts hit. Rock fell from the walls, boulders twice the size of an Arwing. She felt the shock wave just after she saw the light. She thought she felt a sensation of heat, though the Arwing's shields and hull would have negated that.

Breathing slightly faster, she zoomed down the volcano, now free of anything, save for her, Fox, and the falling rocks and pulverized demons in free-fall.

* * *

"We're coming up on the bottom of the volcano. Get ready," Fox told Krystal. As with any scouting mission, Fox was a bit anxious to find out what was down there.

He looked at his sensors, indicating that the air was hot down here, but not enough to kill you. Also, breathable air was down here too. _That'll be good, considering we may have to bail out. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that._

The bottom of the volcano was coming up fast. Fox hit the forward maneuvering thrusters, which sent the Arwing from a nose-down position to a horizontal position. He hit the bottom maneuvering/landing thrusters to slow his descent.

The circular tunnel ended, and Fox looked around at the cavern they were in. For miles around, empty space filled the area, lit up spectacularly by the vast lava lake below. The magma was bubbling, slightly tinged by black spots in areas. Fox was in awe over the underground cave, and how it could have gotten so big… "Whoa."

"I'm picking up strange brain patterns, Fox. Follow me," Krystal said.

"Roger. I'm your wing."

As they flew over the sea of magma, a thought tugged at Fox's mind. He keyed the com to the _Great Fox_'s signal. "This is Fox to _Great Fox_. _Great Fox_, do you read me?" Static answered him. "Great," he mumbled.

"Krystal, I can't contact the _Great Fox_. Can you?" Silence answered him for a few seconds. "No," came the reply, "All the rock must be jamming the signal." "That's not good." "We'd have to go to another crack in the rock that leads to the surface for any communication."

As they came up on an island on the edge of the cavern, Krystal dived. Fox followed, and questioned, "What do you sense?"

"A powerful presence… we've got to land," she said finally. Fox acknowledged, and then started the landing cycle.

Fox took out the machine gun from the gun compartment and jumped out of the Arwing. _Well, this place needs redecorating_, he thought to himself. _And air conditioning._ He was already sweating slightly. He saw Krystal get out of her Arwing, blaster drawn. "It's this way," she told him. He now noticed that under an outcropping of rock, there was a tunnel big enough for a Landmaster to go through. Krystal walked toward it, Fox following. She liked that blue top and shorts, he noted.

"What are we looking for?" asked Fox as they walked through the tunnel.

"A being of great power. The person's mind is very advanced, and knows much of magic. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for us, because he's probably on the demon's side…"

"So tell me, why are we looking for him again?"

She looked back at him. "So we can destroy him." Fox nodded, still a bit unsure.

About fifteen minutes and five thoughts on why Krystal might have a death wish later, the tunnel opened up into another cavern. Fox looked around, machine gun at the ready, sweeping the room from right to left. When he got into the middle of the cavern, he stopped, and lowered the machine gun. "Is this our being of great power?" asked Fox tensely. Krystal just nodded, and looked up at the figure before them.

A figure twice the size of them loomed in the middle of the cavern. Just from looking at him, you could see an aura of command and power that radiated from him. His skin was purple with a tint of red, his eye yellow and pupil-less, glowing. He had black robes on that did almost nothing to hide his muscular figure. His face was concealed by a hood from the robes, but his eyes still glowed of power and hate. The figure was looking to their left, seemingly concentrating on something. _Whoa. That's one big baddy,_ thought Fox. He glanced at Krystal, seeing shock on her face.

The figure moved, and the room grew warmer. "Who disturbs me?" the figure asked. "Is it you, lackey? What orders from the master now?" It looked over at Fox and Krystal. "Ah," it said, its voice deep and booming, "Visitors. Come in, come in, I won't fry you yet." It waved a hand, beckoning and laughing slightly at its own joke. Fox walked in slowly, Krystal close behind. The room was even warmer, and Fox had been sweating before. Fox's mind raced, trying to find a way out of the situation. "I am the Geomancer," it said, "and you are Fox and Krystal." Fox nodded, seeing out of the corner of his eye Krystal nod too.

"You are here not just to see me, yes?" it stated. Definitely not a question. "Well, you'll find that my master wants me to bring you both intact to him, and you have not angered me yet, so I will give you the choice." He held out a clawed hand in front of him. "Come with me now," he closed the hand, "or I will make you."

Fox was at a loss of what to do when Krystal raised her blaster, pointing it at the thing's face. "No," she said, "I don't know who your master is, or what he wants with us, but we will not go with you." Fox raised his machine gun similarly. "You have a plan?" he asked, voice low. "No, I was hoping you'd have one," she whispered back. The creature chuckled, amused at the vulpines.

"You have a fiery spirit, young one," it said, "but that will not help you here." _Uh oh. _The thing raided its hands at them. "Goodbye, then." Red spots hovered in front of his palms. Fox reacted quickly. He dove to his right, rolling on his shoulder and coming up on one knee, just in time to dodge the fiery blast that came from the thing. "Krystal!" he yelled out, adrenaline pumping.

"I'm over here, Fox!" came a voice in his ear. He'd forgotten about his earpiece. As the flames blocking their entry point lessened, Fox could see Krystal on the other side. She dodged the other way. The creature was bringing his arms to point at the two of them, and, almost as one being would react, they ran around the thing, dodging fire blasts along the way, until they were at the opposite end of the cavern together. _Another tunnel!_ he thought, wishing the thing hadn't blocked his sight before. Another voice crackled through his earpiece.

"Fox – transpo – ike down. Ge – ready," it said. _Tigris!_ A bright light appeared next to him, and he saw his motorcycle appear next to Krystal. It was coated in a sporty green paint, and had a side car that was more a gun turret than a side car. It had a swivel seat-and-machine-gun emplacement (coated in the same green) for combat. The whole thing looked smooth and aerodynamic, terribly out of place underground. The pyro-creature looked at it, confused.

"Hop in the side car," Fox said as he got on. "I'm driver, I'll drive. You're gunner, you shoot things."

"You will not get away from me!" Fox heard the thing yell. Shots rang out from Krystal's turret, but he had no time to watch her. He started up the motorcycle, its engine humming, and he took off, making the engine roar…

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That's the end of chapter 20, and we finally get to meet the Geomancer! I will pick up on the romance aspect of this fanfic, not quite yet, but soon.

"_So go right, you'll be left at a big hotel,_

_You'll meet the devil at the bottom of a wishing well,_

_You know you'd better give him something, give him something good,_

_Like everybody else he's misunderstood," –Five for Fighting's "The Devil in the Wishing Well_

A song that inspired me. Oh, and I do not own Five for Fighting, the song "The Devil in the Wishing Well, the lyrics, or anything. Thanks.

Black Swordsman342


	21. Escape

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_**21**_

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_**Escape**_

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Krystal fired burst after burst of machine gun fire down the winding tunnel they were in, trying to hit the demons as best she could. After she'd fired at that Geomancer thing (which caused no damage whatsoever) and they'd taken off, about one hundred demons had come out of nowhere to attack them. _Not good._

She took out one of the enraged demons, two, three. They'd been flying after them in a swarm, just barely gaining on them. "You have a plan?" she yelled over the wind going past them.

"Yeah, I figure if we can get to another volcano, the _Great Fox_ can teleport us up without trouble," he yelled back.

A few turns and two fried demons later, Krystal saw a demon throw something. _Is that a-?_ she had time to think before a sound of metal on stone filled her ears for a second, with sparks coming from her left. She looked over, the side car shaking a bit. _They're trying to sever the side car from the bike! _

Fox had apparently noticed, and he yelled without looking, "Put the machine gun on overload, and jump onto the bike!" She hit a few buttons in sequence, and a light on the machine went from green to red. She promptly leaned over, put her hand on the backseat of the bike, and swung over onto it, putting her hands around Fox's waist for safety, while leaning her head down close to Fox's hunched-over back, so the wind didn't sting her eyes as much.

Looking over to her left, she saw the sidecar fly off, and back into the swarm of demons. Abruptly, an explosion from behind shook the bike, and Krystal hung onto Fox, making sure she didn't fall off. _That's what you get from putting a gun on overload,_ she thought. _And that's what they get for trying to separate me and Fox…_

"Uh, you'd better hang on!" Fox yelled to her. "What now?" she asked.

"Well, about a fifty-foot drop into who-knows-what!" Krystal gulped uncertainly. "You're crazy!" she told him.

"Well, it's either that or we get ripped to pieces by these guys!" _Good point._

The tunnel opened up suddenly, revealing a domed cavern with a hole in the middle, much like the one they'd been in before. The problem was, they had no ground under them for about sixty feet, and they were going forward at about 100 MPH. That could lead to a number of bad things.

Freefall lifting her stomach, she fell, still on the bike, hoping that there was something solid under them when they landed, _anything_…

The ground came up fast, the bike hitting it with all its speed. Luckily, Fox seemed to know what he was doing, and they hit, bounced once, and the bike turned right, still going forward, skidding to a stop. Fox sat up and put a hand to his ear, Krystal's arms still locked around his waist. She looked back and saw the demons pouring out of the tunnel they'd been in. "Tigris, beam us up _now!_" Fox yelled. Krystal looked back, they were even close now. "_Tigris, are you there!_" he said, almost panicking. Blue light encircled them…

* * *

"Fox, Krystal, are you two alright!" asked a voice from Fox's right. He opened his eyes, shut before, and looked for the voice. "Slippy?" he asked, then looked around. They were in the _Great Fox_'s hangar, still on the bike. 

"Wow, Fox, you guys almost didn't get out of their!" said Slippy, voice still as shrill as ever. Fox felt the pressure around his waist lessen a bit, and he felt Krystal's head come wearily down on his back. A sigh of relief escaped him, and Krystal took her hands and head off of him. He got off the bike, a bit sore, defiantly tired. _Well,_ he thought, _All in a day's work, I suppose?_

Krystal got off the bike, and came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder comradely. "Good driving, Fox," she said. He looked over at her. She smiled. "Now go take a shower," she said, slightly amused. Fox stopped for a moment, realizing he was pretty sweaty, and his fur didn't help much. "Yeah, I'd best do that…" he said, looking away, and he walked off, waving to Krystal twice over his shoulder…

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That'd be the end of chapter 21. Review if you get the chance. Anything, even a few words to tell I'm doing good, or that I'm SUCKING BADLY. Only if I am, though. Also, chapter a little short, butaction-packed. One more thing, Krystal was facing backwards to shoot the demons in the side car. The sidecar was on Fox's left. Her left was Fox's right until she got onto the bike, meaning that when she looked left, she was looking at the bike. I just wanted no confusion. Thanks. 

Black Swordsman342


	22. Impending Doom

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_**22**_

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_**Impending Doom**_

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"We've got to leave orbit," Tigris said as Fox walked in. Fox frowned, confused. "What's the problem?" he asked, sitting down in a chair around the circular table.

"Well, this is the problem…" Tigris said, and the holo-projecter came up from the middle of the table. Light came from it for a moment, then it dimmed to its appropriate setting. This has always happened with the new projector, Fox thought. A picture of a volcano erupting appeared, hovering slightly over the holo-projector.

"So, what's the problem?" asked Falco. "You guys scared of a little lava?" He had his feet up on the table, leaning back casually.

"The problem's not the lava, Falco," Tigris said, "It's the rocks. Watch." The holographic volcano spewed lava for a second more, then stopped. A rock big enough to punch a good-sized hole in the _Great Fox_ appeared, flying out of the volcano straight up. Fox saw Falco gulp, his attention on the volcano 100. "So," said Falco slowly, sounding uncertain, "That rock is gonna hit us or something?" Tigris nodded. "And we can't blast it to pieces, why?"

"That boulder is going faster than the _Great Fox_ goes at full speed. Also, it's got a very hard shell to crack. We wouldn't get them all in time." "There's more?" said Fox. "How many more?"

"About ten. But that's if the volcanoes don't fire again." Fox took a deep breath and let half of it out.

"Alright. Do we know where they're coming from?" A nod from Slippy. "Good. Make a program, Slippy, that'll maneuver the _Great Fox_ around the boulders."

"I'm on it!"

"Tigris and Falco, you two go down to the shield projectors and make sure they're in top shape." Affirmatives from them. Falco had known Tigris from Star Fox's previous encounters with Husky Unit.

"Good. Krystal, you go down to civilian quarters and make sure that they're strapped in." A slightly worried yes. "Ok. I'll go to the bridge with Slippy and help him get the program ready. Everyone understand orders? Good." Fox started off toward the exit closest to the bridge, Slippy following. The others went out other ones. _Well, this is it. _

After the Aparoid wars, the Star Fox team got a new ship from the Cornerian Army. It was a newer model than their older ship, but it looked mostly the same. They'd dubbed her the _Great Fox_. _Hey, why wreck a good thing?_ Fox thought. He sighed inwardly. _I just hope we don't mess up…_

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Sorry about the _really_ short chapter here. I just felt I needed to update so I didn't loose interest in it, 'cause I haven't updated in awhile. Review, please, and I ain't kidding. I don't want to have to set a review minimum for me to update, but I will if I have to. Thanks. I'll update soon, I hope.

Black Swordsman342


	23. Close Call

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**_23_**

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_**Close Call**_

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"Report, Slippy," Fox said as he walked onto the bridge, hoping for some good news. Luckily, the shield generators were 100, and the civilians were strapped in, but they were running out of time. He walked beside Slippy and looked at the program he was working on. 

"I… think I've got it, Fox," said Slippy, uncertainty in his voice. "There are a lot of rocks we're going to have to dodge in a short amount of time, and this ship's maneuvering thrusters aren't the best…"

"But, it's possible, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Fox said as he walked back to the command chair. He leaned back in it, and let out a deep breath. He looked at the countdown meter… three minutes… two… one…

He checked over his crew one l;ast time. Falco was staring out into space blankly. Fox speculated on this for a moment, then saw Slippy making some last-minute adjustments. Krystal was tense, gripping the ends of the armrests of her chair tightly, eyes shut.

Fox saw a rock whizzing past the _Great Fox. _It was red hot, small pieces flying off at random. Then, another. The ship moved, its thrusters blaring. Fox could feel it in the ship's vibrations. Taking every breath like it may be his last, Fox waited out three, long minuets, rocks flying by every second of it. The shields buzzed once or twice, and Fox heard a slight intake of breath from his crew each time. But, after four minutes…

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I am SO sorry, guys. It's been a few weeks, and I know you've been waiting. Here it is. 

Black Swordsman342


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